A quarter of the estimated 105,000 Memphis and Shelby County residents age 16 and over with disabilities are below the federal poverty level. Many others aren’t significantly above the threshold, which is about $24,600 a year for a family of four.

Disability is not typically part of poverty discussions, but a person with a disability is twice as likely to be in poverty and also more likely to be unemployed. The wide occurrence of poverty among people with disabilities makes it an important part of the public discourse.

There is an apparent general lack of awareness about the 56 million Americans with disability status, which the U.S. Census Bureau bases on survey responses to questions about hearing, visual, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care and independent living ability.

A lack of awareness can keep issues related to individuals with disabilities under the public policy radar, a disadvantage when it comes to poverty problem-solving.

In Memphis, poverty has increased for most groups, except for individuals over 65 years of age, according to the 2017 update of the Memphis Poverty Fact Sheet, produced annually by Dr. Elena Delavega of the University Of Memphis Department Of Social Work.

The local increase does not bode well for area residents with disabilities, 73 percent of whom are not in the labor force.

It’s encouraging that nationally there were two million fewer people in poverty in 2016 than in 2015. However, extenuating circumstances continue to make poverty persistent for people with disabilities more than 25 years after passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, which had economic self-sufficiency among its goals.

What are the major impediments to self-sufficiency? A 2014 congressional report, led by former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, found the following through a survey of 400 people:

•Lack of adequate transportation can cause people with disabilities to be alienated from the economic mainstream.

•The wait for accessible housing, through locally operated Section 8 programs, can take years.

•Survey respondents receiving help through government programs found that the means-tested support could create "significant confusion and conflict" because program requirements vary in the amount of money a person can earn before losing eligibility or see their benefits cut.

•Attitudes and behaviors toward those with disabilities often remain paternalistic and lack the understanding that people with disabilities want to be contributing members of society.

Some of these barriers unfortunately exist in the local community and across Tennessee, presenting challenges for individuals and the organizations seeking to help. Advances are being made, but with so much need the age-old problem of limited funding impacts options.

Financial self-sufficiency is a big part of change, but as both the Harkin report and the Americans with Disabilities Act indicate, a multi-pronged approach is needed. Along with economic progress, the ADA’s additional three main goals are full participation, equality of opportunity and independent living.

With its Employment and Community First program launched in 2016 the state of Tennessee, through the Division of TennCare, is making a concentrated effort to create more opportunities for people with disabilities to have greater independence and meaningful community participation, anchored in employment.

Disability services providers in West Tennessee and around the state, managed care organizations and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities are joined in the effort.

While there are many people with disabilities thriving, living full and independent lives, there is clearly more work to be done. Maybe creating better understanding about the effects of economic challenges will help ensure everyone has access to opportunities to lift themselves from poverty.

Anthony Hicks is director of public relations for SRVS, Tennessee’s largest provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.